Study Improves Understanding of Red Wine and Green Tea Prostate Benefits

For years studies have indicated that polyphenols in red wine and green tea may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Polyphenols are a broad group of chemical compounds found in plants. There are over 4,000 known naturally occurring antioxidant polyphenols. Polyphenols may be broken down into three main classification groups: tannins, lignins, and flavonoids.

The polyphenols in red wine and green tea fall into the flavonoid group. These groups may be broken down even further. For instance, the flavonoids, can be further broken down into flavonols, flavones, catechins, flavanones, anthocyanidins, and isoflavonoids. These can be again broken down further. This can become very confusing, but the classification is not nearly as important as the actual function of polyphenols.

Red wine naturally contains varying levels of polyphenolic antioxidants, the most famous of which is resveratrol. Recent studies have tied resveratrol and red wine's other polyphenols to longer lifespan, enhanced athletic performance, reduced risk of colorectal and prostate cancer, and reduced inflammation.

Likewise, studies have linked the polyphenols in green tea, called catechins, to a myriad of potential benefits, including possible cancer benefits, heart benefits, weight loss, and even reduced risk of "all-cause mortality."

One of the most studied aspects of these polyphenols is their effects on cancer. Thanks to a new study, scientists now know how red wine and green tea polyphenols inhibit prostate cancer growth.

The scientists first performed an in vitro ("test tube") study which tested four different compounds against a prostate cancer cell line. These four compounds were a group of mixed green tea polyphenols, the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a group of mixed red wine polyphenols, and the red wine polyphenol resveratrol. This study confirmed that red wine and green tea polyphenols inhibit cancer growth through regulation of the "sphingosine kinase-1/sphingosine 1-phosphate" (SphK1/S1P) pathway.

The researchers followed-up the initial test with an in vivo (living model) that utilized mice genetically engineered to develop human prostate cancer. As with the in vitro study, the researchers tested groups of mice against four different treatments, mixed green tea polyphenols, EGCG, mixed red wine polyphenols, or resveratrol. Additionally, there was a control group which did not receive any polyphenols of any kind. The researchers found that each of the test compounds significantly inhibited prostate cancer (at different blood concentrations) along the SphK1/S1P pathway.

This is being heralded as a major breakthrough in the treatment not just of prostate cancer, but many other cancers as well. While it is not known if green tea or red wine polyphenols with have a meaningful effect on cancer in humans, understanding the importance of this pathway means that perhaps new drugs can be created that will target this pathway in an attempt to slow or stop the development of cancers. Naturally, any such drug would be years away. The finding is exciting nonetheless.

Commenting in a press release about the study, Dr. Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal stated, "As long as they are taken in moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be ranked among the most potent 'health foods' we know."

Learn more about resveratrol, green tea and our other polyphenolic antioxidants here.

1. Brizuela, L., A. Dayon, et al. (2010). "The sphingosine kinase-1 survival pathway is a molecular target for the tumor-suppressive tea and wine polyphenols in prostate cancer." Faseb J.